Production Year: 2001, 1952 - Drama, Comedy, Family - Director: Brian Henson, Jean Yarbrough, Charles Barton - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance, Universal - Starring: Matthew Modine, Vanessa Redgrave, Mia Sara, Daryl Hannah, Jon Voight, Richard Attenborough, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer, William Farnum more
The classic fairy tale gets a 21st century update in this lovely Hallmark Hall of Fame production. Starring such luminaries of the silver screen as Matthew Modine (MARRIED TO THE... more
Hapsburg Robinson (Jack, for short), it's a part of his history - a giant secret buried in the Robinson family closet for centuries. In order to undo the ancient family curse, Jack must return to a different place and time, to a fantastic world where fairy tales come true. Here, a handful of beans really can produce magic, a goose really can lay a golden egg, and a beanstalk does indeed reach into the heavens where an immortal giant lives, breathes, and swears vengeance for all eternity. Prepare yourself for the larger-than-life truth behind a modern-day fable that reaches new heights in fantastic entertainment.
Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Michael Winterbottom - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar
Production Year: 1981 - Drama - Director: Franco Zeffirelli - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford, Beatrice Straight
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
A review by ldvda on Jack And The Beanstalk - The Real Story (DVD) July 18th, 2006
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to similar films?
Advantages:
Teaches colours and shapes
Disadvantages:
Can drag out at the end, if you let it
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I just love Orchard Toys range. Their toys, games and puzzles, are brightly coloured and teach the children something while at the same time the children are having fun so don't realise that they are learning. The toys are for children between 18months and 10years old. All their toys are made of recycled cardboard and have a wipe clean surface. I got my first Orchard toy about a year ago and you could hardly tell that the toy is that old considering it is played at least once a week. They must be doing something right considering they have been around for over 30 years and many of their products have won practical pre-school awards, Jack and the Beanstalk being one of them in 2005.
There are not many shops that stock their whole range, a few shops stock their popular games and puzzles like Boots at Christmas and The Entertainer. I am quiet lucky though that one of my toy shops is not a chain one and is an independent one and stocks virtually the whole range. It is not that more expensive than ordering direct from Orchard toys, no more than £1 per toy. If you don't have a toyshop that stocks these toys don't worry you can order direct from Orchard Toys via the website, the phone, e-mail, post or fax. All orders under £30 have a delivery charge of £4.50 and all orders over £30 are free. To see what they offer you can look at their website or if you contact them they will send you out a free brochure with all their products in.
Website: http://www.orchardtoys.co.uk/
Order phone number: 01953-859520
Fax number: 01953-423440
E-mail: info@orchardtoys.com
Address: Orchard toys Wymondham Business Park Chestnut Drive Wymondham Norfolk NR18 9SB
Well that's enough about Orchard toys now about the actual product, Jack and the beanstalk.
Cost: £10 - Direct from Orchard £10.99 - From my independent toy shop Age: 3 - 6 years old Players: 2 - 4 players
The box: The box has the name of the game in big while letters across the top and a picture of a boy, meant to be Jack I think, holding a bag and a card with a shape on it. Jack is standing next to the beanstalk which goes all the way up to the sky with creatures on it and different shapes at the bottom of the beanstalk. It has a plastic carrying handle so your little one can carry this game around with ease; mine are all standing upright so my little girl can just pull them out of her toy box by their handle with ease. The picture are brightly coloured and drawn so that children want to look at it. The box is very strong and does not lose its shape or sturdiness like some games' boxes.
Inside the box you get: A red bag 22 jigsaw pieces that form the beanstalk - There is a top and bottom pieces and 20 middle pieces which do not matter which order they are put together to form the beanstalk 20 cards with shapes on them brightly coloured with a black outline and the shape name underneath - there are 10 different shapes so there is two of each shape - these come on a big sheet of card and needs to be punched out 20 shapes, which are the same colour as they are on the cards - there are 10 different shapes so there is two of each shape - these come on a big sheet of card and needs to be punched out Spinner, this is divided in to four with two different pictures, two of the giant and two of jack with the identical pictures opposite each other Instructions - These are clearly laid out but could have used a big type size I feel and suggestions on how to adapt the game. It also gives the instructions in 5 other languages
How to play: 1. Place all the shapes in to the bag 2. Shuffle the cards and give each player 3 cards each 3. Put the bottom of the puzzle somewhere all the players can reach and pile up the middle puzzle pieces next to it. 4. Place the final piece next to the spinner somewhere out of the way. 5. With the youngest person going first, get them to pick a shape out of the bag. If they have got the piece they place it on the corresponding card and take a jigsaw piece and attach it to the beanstalk puzzle. If they have not got the shape it goes back in the bag and the next person has ago. 6. Keep going round until someone has got all their shapes. 7. Once this ahs happened they take the spinner and give it a spin. If they get Jack they win the game and get to put the top of the beanstalk on. If they get the giant, they don't get to put the final piece on and everyone says "Fe fi fo fum" and they have to wait till their next go to have ago on the spinner.
What it teachers: This games teachers the children colours and the names of shapes. The name of each shape is stated at the bottom of each card.
What my little girl and me think about it: My little loves games and she loves puzzles so this roles the two things in to one. As we are learning colours and shapes I only let her keep the shape if she gets the colour, shape or both right. If she gets it wrong I tell her what the colour or shape is and put it back in the bag. You can change the game round according to who is playing. With younger children you can forget about the spinner and only put the shapes in the bag that are on their cards. For older children you can give them more cards to each player ensuring each player has the same amount of cards each though.
I am not big on making kids sit down and learn something but by using play children learn things which I do prefer so my l little girl can learn her shapes and colours and not even realise she is learning. She is more likely to remember then as well as she is having fun. I find she has no problems with the colours just the shapes but we will get there, slowly but surely.
My step-daughter is 7 and she does not mind playing it, as it is not so repetitive and I can leave the two of them alone to play it. I was scared that she would be only interested with the game for a few months but if the eldest one does not playing it then I think we have a few years worth with this game. Like I said before these games have been made to last so if I have another child the game can be used again or given away for someone else to enjoy.
More Reviews
Bean 'n Gone Review ofJack And The Beanstalk - The Real Story (DVD)by
Borg
Advantages: Disc would make a nice Frisbee Disadvantages: Too many to count.
...and since this, I wonder? Jack (Costello) gets a job babysitting a young prodigy-cum-brat, and Abbott plays his manager. The prodigy-cum-brat is basically a… well… brat. In an attempt to settle the boy down, Jack reads the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. We leave their black and white world and, very ‘Wizard of Oz’ like, we appear in a colourful world where Jack lives with his mother.
The story is pretty much the fairy tale story that everyone ... ...the gist?
However, when Jack starts to climb the beanstalk, along with Abbott – who plays a butcher (Jack swapped his cow for the beans with the butcher – was basically conned, but the giant takes the cow and Abbott wants it back; plus the giant has a goose that lays golden eggs… added incentive for Abbott), the village below bursts into song. This surprised me somewhat as I did not expect that. A bit of ‘filling in,’ I suspected at the time.
But ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great Classic story with a twist, and magnificent ending. Disadvantages: 3 hours 20 minutes- a bit long
~:∞:~:∞:~:∞:~:∞:~ JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY (2001) ~:∞:~:∞:~:∞:~:∞:~
This is an imaginative production on the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk story. While it was made for young kids, the story maintains adequate complexity to keep adults interested. But it really is something worth watching - it sure does have an unusual ending.
Starring Richard Attenborough, Matthew Modine, Vanessa ... ...Modine plays the role of Jack Robinson, who is a very wealthy businessman and has no time for anything other than work, yet he doesn't realise that he is about to face the family curse where no man in the Robinson line lives past the age of thirty. Prior to his birthday, he stumbles across the remains of a giant's skeleton as well as someone who claimed to know the giant. He meets a woman (Mia Sara) who takes him to another world and the true story ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Classic Oldie Disadvantages: dated Gags and Humour
Abbott and Costello's Jack and the Bean Stalk.
Saw this film just before Christmas; I remember how much I used to laugh whenever I saw Abbott and Costello on the television when I was younger,
So for £4.99 I thought, what a bargain.
Bar of Chocolate, bag of crisps, and a mug of tea, I was sorted, ready for a good nights viewing of laughter.
Well to be brutally honest, I cant remember laughing once, It was nothing that the guys were doing different ... ...this film, it starts as Jack is baby sitting young Donald, he reads him the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' to help settle him down,
But Jack falls asleep instead, and starts to dream that he is in the story.
A good film, there's no denying that, lots of the usual gags and antics the pair always get up to, but I just found it really dated,
I wish I had kept Abbott and Costello where they belonged, in my fond memories.
Got my copy from Tesco ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: For Jonathan (or Jack, for short) 'Jack And The Beanstalk' has never been a fairy tale but part of his family history which has been buried for centuries. In order to destroy this curse on his family he must visit the fantastic world where fairy tales really do come true...
DVD Description
The classic fairy tale gets a 21st century update in this lovely Hallmark Hall of Fame production. Starring such luminaries of the silver screen as Matthew Modine (MARRIED TO THE MOB), Mia Sara (LEGEND), and Vanessa Redgrave (THE PLEDGE), JACK AND THE BEANSTALK proves, yet again, to be a compelling and timeless story of bravery and maturity. Set in 2001, the young boy Jack must make amends for the evil committed by his ancestors by conquering a giant intent on avenging their crimes.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): WARNER VISION INTERNATIONAL; CINRAM LOGISTICS, ORBIT MEDIA LTD.; SONY DADC, Firefly Entertainment; Pinnacle Vision, FREMANTLE HOME ENTERTAINMENT; ARVATO SERVICES, ELSTREE HILL ENTERTAINMENT; PICKWICK, STONEVISION ENTERTAINMENT; QUANTUM LEAP
Special Features: A Look Behind The Scenes Feature, Jim Hensons Creature Shop Special, Production Notes, Abbott And Costello 61 Minute Live Feature, Interactive Menus, 14 Chapter Points, Film Flash, Actors Filmographies And Biographies, Trivia Quiz, Scene Selection
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround English, Dolby Digital English
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Listed on Ciao since : 17/09/2005
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